Before class, print out a puzzle template on cardstock for each student. (If your class is meeting online, you can send the template to families to print and bring to class along with the other listed supplies.) The template can be found here.

Earlier we saw what it looks like to follow God’s plans instead of our own. Mary and Joseph had plans to marry, start a family, and go about the business of their lives. However, God interrupted those plans with some of His own. Even though it was scary and like nothing they expected, Mary and Joseph chose to believe and follow God’s will for their lives. Ask a volunteer to read today’s memory verse, Psalm 143:10 aloud for your students. God was asking them to put their trust in His will above their own. This is what faith in action looks like. We believe in God and then we follow wherever He leads.

• How can we know God’s will for our lives? (Answers may include: We can discover God’s will through reading the Bible and praying, by knowing and listing to God’s voice, by having a personal relationship with God, etc.)
• Once we know God’s plan for us, what should we do next? Why? (Answer: We should follow His plan, we should obey whatever God tells us to do because we love Him and want to follow Him, etc.)

Puzzles demonstrate the need for guidance to get a job done. A picture on the front of the puzzle box lets us know what we need to do. It gives us direction and from there we can figure out a plan to put the puzzle together.

Pass out the puzzle sheets, index cards, and resealable plastic bags to your students along with writing utensils. (If your class is meeting online, invite students to have their supplies ready.)

Before cutting the puzzle apart, preteens should write or draw on the puzzle something they’re taking away from today’s lesson. Examples might include: drawing a picture of a path with a light at the end of it; writing today’s verse, Psalm 143:10; drawing a picture of the Bible and someone praying; writing key words: God’s will, God will guide us, or God’s plan is amazing; etc.

Once they’ve completed drawing on their puzzles, they should use an index card to provide the “puzzle plan” they’ll need later to put the puzzle back together. They should redraw or write what their puzzle looks like onto the index card; this will serve as the puzzle box “cover.” Have them cut out their puzzle pieces and store it along with their index card “puzzle plan” into a resealable plastic bag. If they’ve decided to give their puzzle to someone else, they can write an encouraging note on the back of the index card before placing everything into the plastic bag.

Have a few volunteers share what they wrote on their puzzles.

God’s plans for our lives are always bigger and greater and more wonderful than anything we can dream up. God’s plan brought His Son, Jesus, to earth. His amazing plan brought the Savior of the world, who can be our Savior, if we choose to believe and follow Him. Be sure to invite any students who would like to explore this further to talk with you after class. Help on sharing the Gospel with this age group can be found in your teacher’s guide.

This week, begin each day in prayer surrendering your heart to God. Ask Him to help you follow His plan for your life. Ask God for opportunities to share the Gospel and to glorify Him in all you do. His will always involves these things! As you place your puzzle in your room or even give it away to someone else, remember that it’s God who is our “puzzle planner.”  He is the One who provides the picture for our lives.

Pray to close.